Texas Two Step: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 1 (17 page)

Olivia smiled, confused as to why Mitch would hire someone so young. And attractive. And tattooed. She took the proffered hand. “Olivia Gentry.”

“Magda Hobbs.”

“You’re married to Hobbs?”

Mitch and Magda both burst out laughing. Olivia glanced toward Joanna. She wasn’t laughing. A frown darkened all her facial features.

“Sorry,” Magda said and released Olivia’s hand to wipe her eyes. “Lord, no, I’m not married to Hobbs. He’s my father.”

Olivia opened her eyes wide in surprise. “I had no idea Hobbs had ever been married.”

Magda glanced down at Adam, then back to Olivia. “He hasn’t. It’s a long story.”

The front doors opened and Hobbs entered, followed by a couple of ranch hands carrying luggage.

“This way, Hobbs,” Joanna said. She started back up the stairs. “Our guests will be staying up here.”

Magda looked at Olivia, tilted her head toward Joanna, then rolled her eyes.

“Joanna.”

Mitch’s sharp tone stopped Joanna’s foot in mid-step. She set her foot down and turned. “Yes?”

Mitch shook his head. “Hobbs, take Olivia’s things to the master suite.”

“But, Mitch…” Joanna took a step down.

Mitch’s lips pulled tight. He waved toward the crutches. “The master suite, Hobbs. Olivia can hardly climb stairs.” He looked at Magda and raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I set you up in the balcony room. If Adam is okay with having his own room, I put him in the front bedroom.” Magda glanced toward Olivia. “If you’d rather, I can set up a bed for Adam in the master suite.”

“I don’t know,” Olivia said, readjusting the crutch pads under her arms. “We can talk about it. I’m sorry, but I need to get off my feet. My ankle is throbbing.”

“Of course you do. What are you thinking, Mitch?” Magda punched his arm. “The two of you come with me to the kitchen. I have iced tea, lemonade and fresh cookies. How does that sound?”

Adam grinned. “I like cookies.”

Magda held out her hand. “Then c’mon. I need someone to eat these.”

Adam took Magda’s hand. “C’mon, Momma.”

“You two go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

As soon as Adam and Magda were out of sight, Olivia whirled around to face Mitch and Joanna. “I don’t know what little Texas two-step dance you two are playing, but Adam and I are not going to be in the middle.” She held up her hand when Mitch began to speak. “The minute I’m back on my feet, we are gone, even if we have to walk off this ranch to get a ride.”

When she turned to follow the path taken by Magda and Adam, Mitch touched her arm. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I wasn’t expecting Joanna to be here.”

“But I was just trying to help,” Joanna protested. “I wanted our guests to feel welcome.”

Our guests?
What was going on between Mitch and his ex? He’d led Olivia to believe he and Joanna were done, over, finished. So what was Joanna doing here welcoming them into the house as though she were still mistress of the manor?

“After all,” Joanna continued, “it’s obvious Mitch is Adam’s—”

“That’s enough,” Mitch barked. “Enough.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Joanna. I’m sure you meant well, but Magda is perfectly capable of taking care of things around here.”

Joanna sniffed. “Please. The girl’s a drug addict.”

Olivia gasped and turned. “Mitch?”

He huffed. “She’s not a drug addict. You just think that because of the tats.”

“Only white trash has tattoos. Why, my daddy would just die if I came home with something so tacky.” Joanna stepped off the last step and walked up to Mitch. “You need a proper housekeeper. Someone who understands the needs of someone in your social status.”

Mitch snorted and shook his head. “Joanna. I’m a rancher, not someone with a social status. Now, I’m sure you meant well, but we’re all tired. Once Olivia and Adam get settled in, I have a million things I need to tend to.” He took her arm and pulled her toward the front door. “Goodbye, Joanna.”

Her back muscles were rigid. Her lips pressed tight. A fire burned in her hazel eyes. Olivia remembered that look from knowing Joanna in college. The lady was seriously irate.

Then Joanna’s shoulders slumped and her bottom lip began to tremble. Unshed tears filled her eyes. She sniffed. “I’m sorry, Mitch. I really was trying to help.”

Mitch stopped walking. It must have been the tears, or maybe the trembling lower lip, but whatever she’d done worked. Mitch moved his hand from her elbow and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

“I know. I’m just tired and cranky. You go shopping with your friend Helen or your mom. You’ll feel better.”

She kissed Mitch’s cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.” When she hugged him, her gaze locked with Olivia’s. The look on Joanna’s face was anything but regret. There was a sly smile on her lips to go with the defiance in her eyes. It was another expression Olivia remembered from their sorority days…Joanna’s victory expression. As Joanna broke the hug, her appearance reassumed the sorrowful eyes and trembling lip. She lifted her hand in a half-wave. “Bye, Olivia.”

Before Olivia could respond, Joanna shut the door behind her. Olivia shook her head. The woman hadn’t changed a bit since they’d been sorority sisters. What Joanna wanted, Joanna took, no matter who got stepped on in the process. And now, it seemed Joanna wanted Mitch back.

Olivia turned in the direction Magda had taken Adam. She followed the aroma of hot chocolate-chip cookies and found her way to the kitchen.

The gleam from all the stainless steel and granite countertops was blinding. Adam sat on a barstool, a glass of milk in his right hand and a chocolate-chip cookie in the other. Magda was leaning with her elbows on the countertop, engrossed in Adam’s story of driving Mitch’s plane all by himself on the way down.

“Wow, Adam. That’s really something. I don’t think Mitch has ever let anyone else fly his plane.” Magda took a cookie off the plate and took a bite. “He must really like you.”

“Uh huh.” Cookie crumbles dropped from Adam’s stuffed mouth.

Olivia hobbled into the room. “Excuse me? Do we talk with food in our mouth?”

Adam swallowed. “No, ma’am.”

Magda grinned. She ruffled Adam’s hair and stood. “Can I get you something, Olivia? Iced Tea? Coffee? Lemonade?”

“Coffee, if it’s already made. I don’t want to put you out.”

“Grab a stool. Coffee’s hot. How do you take it?”

“A little milk, please.” Olivia bit into a cookie and moaned. “These are wonderful, Magda. What’s your secret recipe?”

Magda set a cup of coffee down. “The back of the chocolate-chips package. I think you’re probably just hungry.”

“I don’t know about that. Adam and I are cookie experts, aren’t we?”

Adam nodded enthusiastically.

He reached for another cookie, but Olivia slid the plate out of his reach. “You’ve probably had your fair share.”

“
Momma.
Magda. Tell her I didn’t have that many.”

Magda began storing the extra cookies in a plastic bag. “Sorry, partner. I don’t get between a guy and his mother. But tell you what…” She pulled out a small sandwich plastic bag. “I’ll store some ’specially for you. Then when your mom says you can have more, you’ll have your own stash. How’s that?”

His face lit up. “All right.”

Olivia finished her coffee and glanced at the clock on the stove. “Magda? Would you please show Adam and me to where I’ll be staying? With all the rushing around and the travel down, I’m beat. I think an afternoon nap is just what the doctor ordered for both of us.”

“Not me,” Adam declared emphatically. “I’m not tired and I’m too old for a nap.”

Olivia sighed. Had they not just had this discussion? “Tell you what, pal. You go lie down with me. If you’re still awake after thirty minutes, we’ll get back up. Deal?”

Adam pasted a stubborn look on his face and crossed his arms. “I’ll go, but I won’t fall asleep and you can’t make me.”

Olivia noticed Magda sucking in her bottom lip, restraining a smile tickling the edges of her mouth.

“Okay. Fair enough.” Olivia stood. “Whenever you’re ready to lead the way, Magda.”

Magda sealed the cookie packages and slipped them into the cabinet. “This way.” She started back toward the dining room and entry hall.

“C’mon, Adam.” Olivia balanced herself on her crutches. “Don’t argue with me.”

Adam slid off his stool with a loud thud on the hardwood floor. “I’m coming, but I’m not going to sleep.”

After going back through the formal dining room, a formal living room and down a short hallway, Magda pushed open a set of double doors. The three of them stepped into a coffered-ceiling entryway, the master bedroom to their right overlooking the pool and the master bath to their left. The hardwood flooring continued into the master bedroom but stopped at the master bath, where brown marble with gold swirls began.

After Olivia thumped into the master suite entry hall, she realized the master suite encompassed the entire end of the house.

“Wow.” She turned her head to look around. “Big.”

“It is. You ought to have to clean it.” Magda laughed. “The master bedroom is this way.” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder. “You’ve obviously figured out the bathroom is the other way.”

Olivia and Adam followed Magda to the bedroom. The spacious room had a coordinated, designer feel. A yellow duvet covered a massive bed with tall, thick posts and handcrafted headboard and footboard bearing the Lazy L brand. The bed dominated the room. Mahogany bedside tables, mirror dresser and highboy glistened from diffused lighting. The Lazy L brand was repeated in the thick multi-colored rug. Olivia’s luggage rested unopened on the bed.

“Don’t worry about unpacking your bags.” Magda lifted the suitcases off the bed and set them by the dresser. “I’ll help you with that when you wake up.”

“Where’s my stuff?” Adam turned in a full circle examining the room.

“Upstairs. You have your own bedroom up there, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” He looked at Olivia. “Can I go up there for my nap?”

Olivia smiled. “I don’t think so. Not today. For now, stay here with me.”

Adam’s grin fell in disappointment, but she knew her son. Out of her sight and he’d talk his way out of an afternoon nap. By early evening, he’d be one cranky little boy.

“Fine, but I’m not going to sleep.”

“Right,” said Olivia.

Magda pulled back the yellow silk comforter, exposing pale yellow sheets. Olivia was tall enough to sit on the edge, but no way could Adam reach the mattress without help.

“Here. Let me help.” Magda lifted Adam. When his feet were dangling, she untied his tennis shoes and slipped them off.

“Thanks, Magda.” Olivia slipped off her shoes and let them drop to the floor. “Okay, Adam. Scoot over to the other side of the bed.”

He bounced across the bed on his bottom. He looked over his shoulder at Olivia. “I’m not tired.”

“I know. Lay down just for thirty minutes, then we’ll get up.” Olivia’s head hit the soft pillow with a puff. “Thanks, Magda. Lay down, Adam.”

Adam lay down and shut his eyes. Magda closed the curtains over the doors leading outside, then flipped off the light. The bedroom door clicked softly behind her.

After convincing Joanna that he wasn’t angry with her—when in reality he was quite put out—and assuring her that he understood she was just trying to help, Mitch headed off to the barn. Hobbs kept an office there. Even though Mitch had offered him much better office accommodations, Hobbs always said staying in the barn kept him close to what was going on. Plus, Mitch suspected Hobbs enjoyed the smell of leather and horses as much as Mitch did.

“Hobbs.”

“I’m in the office,” came the muffled reply.

Hobbs had taken the door off the office a few years ago and had it cut in half, converting the once solid door into a makeshift Dutch door. The upper unit stood open while the lower unit was closed. This was as close as Hobbs would ever come to an open-door policy.

Mitch leaned on the edge of the lower door unit’s sill. “How’s that new calf doing?”

Hobbs looked up from the spreadsheet on his desk. “The one born right before you left?”

Mitch frowned. “Is there another new calf?”

Hobbs shrugged. “Nope.”

“Then, yeah. That calf.”

“Doing fine. Kept him and his momma here for a couple of days. Wanted to make sure both of them were okay after that rough delivery. Sent them down yesterday with the other calves and moms.”

“You got them in Lee’s Pasture or have you moved them yet to Black’s Ranch?”

As the Lazy L had grown and bought up surrounding acreage, Mitch and his hands had never bothered to rename the lands. It just seemed easier to keep calling them what they always had. So Lee’s Pasture had been bought from Chuck Lee. Black’s Ranch had been owned by Russell Black.

“Right now, they’re still in Lee’s. Figured I’d wait until you got back to move ’em to Black’s.” Hobbs pulled a sheet of paper from his desk. He always had the current cattle-rotation list handy.